


Verses

by icbdrummergirl, PerfidiouslySnatching



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Death Eaters, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ficlet Collection, Heartbreak, Janus Thickey Ward (Harry Potter), Loosely implied underage, Lucius Malfoy's A+ Parenting, Malfoy Family Feels (Harry Potter), Married Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, Memory Charm | Obliviate (Harry Potter), Moodypocalypse, Muggle-born Culture, Multi, Nephomancy, Nurmengard, Oblivious Severus Snape, Peter Pettigrew mourns not the loss of his friends but rather the loss of his finger, Remus Lupin Needs a Hug, Self-Hatred, Triwizard Tournament, Werewolf Turning, Wolfsbane Potion, anniversary surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:20:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 4,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27660590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icbdrummergirl/pseuds/icbdrummergirl, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerfidiouslySnatching/pseuds/PerfidiouslySnatching
Summary: A 7-day prompt-filling challenge in time for Christmas! Each chapter is independent, with a 300 word count max. Prompts were traded between the authors.Day 1▸ Barty Crouch Jr./Aurora Sinistra▹ Remus/SiriusDay 2▸ Narcissa/Lucius▹ Albus DumbledoreDay 3▸ Remus/Sirius▹ Ron/HermioneDay 4▸ Gilderoy Lockhart▹ Dean/SeamusDay 5▸ Past Ginny/Luna▹ Alecto & Amycus CarrowDay 6▸ Peter Pettigrew▹ Past Grindelwald/DumbledoreDay 7▸ Past Lily/Snape▹ Lucius, Narcissa, & Draco
Relationships: Alecto Carrow & Amycus Carrow, Bartemius Crouch Jr./Aurora Sinistra, Draco Malfoy & Lucius Malfoy & Narcissa Black Malfoy, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Past Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape, Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, past Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald - Relationship, past Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	1. Cloudbusting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 Prompt: **_And you’re just in reach / When you and sleep escape me_ \- Kate Bush, “Cloudbusting”**  
> Character Relationship: Barty Crouch Jr./Aurora Sinistra  
> POV: Aurora Sinistra
> 
> Notes: character deaths

On the morning of the Third Task, Alastor Moody sat next to me and immediately said, “How’s it feel to have the night off?”

I suppose I must have let this Auror think we were on speaking terms since I danced with him at that ball. I didn’t even produce a reply before he continued:-

“I heard this Task’s just a hedge maze. Not worth going. Can’t see anything, like it was with the lake.”

The Enchanted ceiling began to rain, and the floating candles momentarily extinguished before their magic adapted and they relit.

_If it will be cloudy all day, perhaps it’s best I don’t have class._

It could take me up to an hour to clear the sky for classes. Oh, who was I fooling? I loved using Atmospheric Magic as much as I loved teaching Astronomy. This Tournament was nonsense to me.

“You’re not thinkin’ of going, are you?” Moody asked me. He almost seemed distraught at the prospect of my presence.

“No,” became my first word of the day. I did not fathom how many times I would cry that word by the day’s end.

I couldn’t sleep. I was awake when Severus’s Patronus bounded through my door to tell me:-

“Your husband. Come at once.”

I discovered I was never talking to Alastor Moody. I was talking to you.

~~

My life, for all those trials, has been full. I am now thrice the age you ever got to be, but I still play with the clouds. I never gave credence to nephomancy, but today the clouds unambiguously told me I will see you again soon.

I am much too learned to picture you sitting atop some cloud waiting for me. You, my love, are in the rain.

“Aurora,” you smile, “you must be my _thunder_.”


	2. Not Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 Prompt: "Is it weak of me as a man to admit to wanting a hug?"- Lee Jackman, "The Power of a Hug"  
> POV: Remus Lupin  
> Character Relationship: Remus Lupin/Sirius Black
> 
> Notes: Mentions of self-inflicted injuries. Young Remus before his friends knew of his affliction.

Alone in the dormitory, the walls adorned by the crimson and gold accents of Gryffindor house, Remus Lupin cried. He had only just returned from his stay in the Shrieking Shack, desperately in need of a bath. His body sluggish with exhaustion, he limped to his bed and slowly slumped to the floor. Reaching under it, he opened his shabby suitcase, his sparse belongings scattered before him. He dumped the contents of his dirty bag, his heart heavy. On his knees, he examined the shredded fabric of his last decent pair of trousers, which had been destroyed the night before. He had used magic to mend them the best he could, but the fabric was damaged beyond repair. He hadn’t the money to purchase more, and he was unsure how he would make it through the rest of the term. He was considering the use of spellotape to hold everything together when the door opened behind him, revealing his best friend.

“Remus! You’re back,” he cheered, quickly coming toward him. Remus hurriedly wiped his tears away, and stuffed the evidence under his bed, his pale cheeks burning with embarrassment. Sirius noticed his friend’s blotchy face, and his smile slipped from his lips, “What’s wrong, Remus? Who hurt you?”

Remus knew he was still covered in bloody scratches that he had not yet treated, and that self-inflicted bruises were likely forming on his blemished skin. “No one, Sirius. I… I, erm, fell.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow, but crouched beside his friend, gently raising his chin to meet his eyes, “Remus, I am your friend. You are not alone here.” He bent down, wrapping his arms around the scrawny boy and squeezing him tightly.

Startled, Remus tensed for a long moment before embracing him back, _finally_ allowing his many tears to fall.


	3. Older

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 Prompt: **_And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills / Till the landslide brought me down_ \- Fleetwood Mac, “Landslide”**  
> Character Relationship: Lucius/Narcissa  
> POV: Narcissa Malfoy
> 
> Notes: Takes place after the Second War

It’s January, a terrible month, when you suggest we travel to the Alps. It takes much tongue-biting for me to refrain from saying that phrase you fear, “midlife crisis.”

I bring clothes that are prettier than they are warm. The cold enjoys my vanity and bites my exposed neck, the way you used to, Lucius. Now you just offer me your scarf as we stand in the cold. We’re at a tourist spot near the mountains. It’s a shared space with Muggles, but you’ve cast the charm to ward them off. Twenty minutes, you said. The Swiss won’t send the authorities after you for twenty minutes. With your legal history, I’m surprised you took such an international chance.

That war. How you put our son in danger… I know you never meant to, that you would sooner die than do that again, but Lucius, it was your _choices_. We’ve grown tighter, I think, but not closer. _Tighter_ is from desperation, a need for safety. Closer is not what we are. I want our old selves back.

Our top-floor hotel suite looks right at the mountains, and I leave the curtain open for the view. When night falls, though, the only thing I see in the glass is my reflection, and it makes me feel old. We’re already in bed at ten o’clock. I draw the curtains with my wand. I wish you weren’t asleep. I wish we still couldn’t keep our hands off each other. I brush your long hair from your face as you sleep. Forgiving you is a work in progress, but love helps the task.

You stir at my touch, more so than I expected, rub your eyes, and sit up.

“...Narcissa?”

For some reason, it’s all you have to say.

I’ve missed this, Lucius, our romance.


	4. The Master of Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 Prompt: "But in this existence I dreamed that I should be at once cognizant of all things, and thus at once happy in being cognizant of all." -Edgar Allan Poe, "The Power of Words"  
> POV: Albus Dumbledore  
> Character Relationship: N/A; Dumbledore/Grindelwald if you squint
> 
> Notes: Minor character death mention

The deepest shades of red, orange, and yellow coloured the sky as the sun prepared to sink below the horizon, spreading its glow across the sprawling grounds of the castle. He leaned against the railing of the Astronomy Tower, careful to keep his hand clear from harm, and admiring the place he had called home for so long. He stared at his injured limb in wonder, amazed by his own foolishness. All these years, and he had not learned his lesson.

He thought of his helpless sister, killed by a wayward curse during a half-witted duel. He had never been able to stomach the guilt, kept awake many nights by the implication that it may have been his curse that had forced the light from her eyes. Back then, he had let his pride taint his values. He had hungrily sought power and knowledge, often allowing his desires to cloud his judgment. Oh, if he could exchange the time he had wasted chasing a fantasy, he would do so in a heartbeat. He thought of Aberforth, who had never forgiven him, and rightfully so. He had never forgiven himself, either.

He thought of his former friend, his partner, his equal— Grindelwald. High in the grim fortress of Nurmengard, he wasted away, the consequences of his avarice draining the life from him with each passing day. He had thought of Ariana as they dueled for the final time, a victory he had taken no pride in.

Youth far behind him, he examined the charred flesh, reflecting on his most recent folly. His lapse in judgment was terminal, slowly coursing through his veins. What had he gained? The Hallows and knowledge, so long sought, were finally his. The Master of Death had less than a year to live— a lonely, broken man.


	5. If You Could See What I See

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 Prompt: **_If you could see what I see / You’d be blinded by the colors / Yellow, red, and orange and green / And at least a million others_ \- Kacey Musgraves, “Rainbow”**  
> Character Relationship: Sirius/Remus  
> POV: Sirius Black
> 
> Note: Takes place at the start of the Second War

“I think you’re making a big deal of nothing.”

Wrong words. I regretted them as soon as they left my mouth.

“Of _nothing_?” you growl. “Let’s say I somehow survive into my eighties. That’s hundreds of transformations I have to go through. And if I’m unlucky enough to live to a pureblood sort of age… _that’s a thousand transformations_.”

“I didn’t mean it was literally nothing, Remus. I know how painful and inconvenient it is, and how much embarrassment comes with it. But you have medicine now.”

 _And you have me_ , I wanted to say, but that part hadn’t been true for far too long. Staring at full moons through the cold sliver of an Azkaban window for twelve years had done as much to me as the transformations themselves did to you. But there’s no good way to explain that.

“Yes, yes, that’s right. I have my _medicine_ ,” you say moodily, dosing some out for (y)our rough night ahead. “I rely on this, you know, so I don’t _eat people_.”

Your self-hatred hurts me as much as it hurts you, just in a different way. And if you knew that it hurt me, you’d only hate yourself more.

We’re both too old to play guessing games, so I ask you outright, “Do you want me, or do you want to be alone tonight?”

You answer by guzzling down your meds and locking yourself in your room. I pass the time reading Arthur’s secondhand _Daily Prophets_.

Something in the _Life & Culture_ section catches my eye.

**Moonbows Spotted in Lake District**

From the article, I skim “recent weather changes” (they’re referring to dementor mist) and “rainbows appearing at night from lunar light.” I’d never heard of moonbows before, but I do know that I’m going to find one for you.


	6. Happy Anniversary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 Prompt: “I kept dreaming of snow and birch forests, where so little changes you hardly notice how time goes by. This is, you will see, a magic mountain.” - Czesław Miłosz, "Magic Mountain"  
> POV: Hermione Granger  
> Character Relationship: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley

The ground steadied after apparating, her husband’s hand warm in her own as her remaining senses attempted to compensate for the blindfold covering her eyes. He had told her that he had a surprise for their anniversary, but she had no idea where they were going. The children were away at their cousins’, courtesy of Harry and Ginny. Ronald had been careful to keep their destination a secret, not even allowing her to pack for the trip. She had complained, arguing that he always forgot to pack something, but he had ushered her out of the room every time.

She felt a cool breeze dance across her skin, causing a shiver to go through her, and making her seek the warmth from her husband’s side. He put his arm around her, guiding her along. She heard the chirping of birds, and the rustling of dry leaves in the late season.

“Ronald, where are we,” she asked, listening hard.

“Patience, Hermione,” he chastised, guiding her along, careful to make sure she did not misstep. “Just a bit longer and you can take it off.”

Finally, they stopped, and he lightly kissed her cheek, “Right, then. You can take it off now.”

She hastily ripped the cover from her eyes and gasped in surprise at the location, “Ronald, are we…? The Forest of Dean?”

He smiled sheepishly, “Yeah. I know you used to love coming here with your mum and dad, and I didn’t want your last memory of this place to be of me bleeding all over the place.”

She hugged him tightly, tears falling as she thought of her parents. After a moment, she glanced behind him, noticing a tent already set up. “Oh, Ronald.”

He embraced her happily, a soft smile playing across his lips, “Happy Anniversary, Hermione.”


	7. Explosion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 Prompt: **_I might only have one match, but I can make an explosion._ \- Rachel Platten, “Fight Song”**  
> POV: Gilderoy Lockhart

Tonight I saw my reflection in the window that doesn’t open. Sometimes I think that it’s not a real window at all. I know that on at least one occasion, I have heard thunder and rain beyond these walls only to see sunshine through that window. It is not right. Something is not right. I am happy, but I cannot put my finger on this feeling of unnaturalness about the place I live. Why do I live with so many people, for example? Sometimes I have considered that this is a residence for retired celebrities. Yet when I looked in that window last night, I saw that I was still gorgeous. Why retire when I have so much life left in me — me, Gilderoy Lockhart? The magic within my body is virile, and the smile on my face is winning. There is no need for me to be here, I thought, but I must be able to prove that. I need to be able to show these pretty women in the green coats that I am in perfect health, perfect condition. I need to wow and woo my audience, to amaze these people with no life in them who stare at walls and count the tiles…

My opportunity arises in a much more modest form than I am used to: a single candle that one of the green ladies left by my bedside. Oh, the things I could do with this! I take the candle and pause to see my beautiful, illuminated countenance in that fake window’s glass. There is a strange woman a few rooms down from me who collects bubble gum wrappers that _will_ conflagrate in large numbers. She leaves them everywhere, and I am clever enough to collect them.

Tonight, I got in trouble for the first time.


	8. Sunday Drive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 Prompt: “When you and I were first in love we drove to the borders of Connacht and entered a wood there. Look down you said: this was once a famine road.” - Eavan Boland, "The Science of Cartography is Limited"  
> POV: Dean Thomas  
> Character Relationship: Dean/Seamus

The asphalt peeked out from the blanket of fallen leaves, crunching under the tires of his car. The warm tones of Autumn streaked past as he drove through the countryside, the tranquility of a Sunday afternoon bringing him peace after a stressful week at work. He gripped the wheel lazily with one hand, the route burned into his muscle memory as he traveled it weekly, a tradition. To his left, his companion stirred from his slumber, cuddling closer in his jumper. Dean smiled warmly at his lover, studying the sleep lines on his cheek and the stubble across his jawline, before turning his attention back to the road. Every Sunday they went out for a drive, and Seamus would fall asleep in increasingly ridiculous and adorable positions, always denying his boyfriend’s observations when he woke up.

A few miles more, and Seamus stirred once more, finally opening his bright blue eyes. He yawned, wiping his face and staring blearily at Dean before offering him a sleepy smile. These were the moments that Dean lived for, the moments spent with just the two of them.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Dean smirked, knowing that it was well past four in the afternoon, earning a scowl from the other man.

“Shut it,” Seamus grumbled, which quickly became another yawn.

Dean snorted, watching his passenger with amusement, “Your hair is a right sight, Seamus. You look as though you’ve been thoroughly shagged.”

Seamus sat up, catching a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror, his cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson, “I’m on to you, you’re just trying to get in my trousers.”

Dean laughed, quickly squeezing his hand and bringing it to his lips, “Always.”

Seamus grinned back at him, sitting up to place a kiss on his cheek, “Take us home, love.”


	9. Lilac

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 5 Prompt: **_You were red, and you liked me because I was blue / Then you touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky / And you decided purple just wasn’t for you_ \- Halsey, “Colors”**  
> Character Relationship: Ginny/Luna (formerly)  
> POV: Luna Lovegood
> 
> Notes: Loosely implied underage (circa 4th year)

There are a few events I did not imagine playing out in my life, but life is full of surprises, and I take them in stride like I do the Highlands weather.

I was surprised, for example, when one of my only friends began flirting with me. I was surprised to discover that I liked girls as much as I liked boys. I was surprised that you could like a girl like me, Ginny. And most surprising of all, you liked me enough to oust your roommates for the night, and then another night, and then another. To the rest of the world, besides your poor roommates and the girls they had to camp out with, you and I were just friends.

I was still the weird girl. You were still popular. Popular with teachers, popular with the friends I know will never be mutual, and popular with boys. I am popular with little creatures no one else seems to see.

I’m not a jealous person. Jealousy is unhealthy; it builds in your chest and makes your magic as sticky as glue. Instead of jealousy, I make a simple observation. You must be browsing Ravenclaws, and that is okay. (I think I was browsing redheads in my mind’s eye). But Ginny, Michael Corner is utterly boring, and for all of my faults, I know that boring is not one of them!

You fold your hands away from your quill as we do homework.

“Luna, this is hard to say, but I think we should stay friends. I really don’t want to damage what we have, and I’m so sorry for not communicating sooner.”

You’re very polite and earnest, but I suppose you are leaving out the obvious. Somewhere along the line, I’ve seen one too many Wrackspurts for your comfort.


	10. Reflection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 5 Prompt: “We shall by morning inherit the earth. Our foot’s in the door.” - Sylvia Plath, "Mushrooms"  
> POV: Alecto Carrow  
> Character Relationship: Alecto Carrow & Amycus Carrow

“Are you alright?”

Alecto startled, drawing her wand at the sound of a voice suddenly behind her. She quickly relaxed at the sight of her twin brother. He eyed her with concern, raising his palms defensively as she lowered her wand. “You know how I hate that,” she sighed, turning back to the mirror before her.

“I can feel you thinking, Al,” he remarked, leaning against the wall behind her. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

She flared her nostrils, glaring at his reflection, then her own, “To think otherwise is _suicide_ , brother dear.” Glancing back at the dirty glass in front of her, she stared in disgust at what she could see, shutting her eyes to fight back the emotions. She had always hated her reflection for as long as she could remember, taught to hate herself before she was even capable of remembering it. Amycus had always been a steady presence for her to take solace, but her self-loathing burned within her, the hatred for all those that had brought about her suffering scorching her soul.

They were wrong, all wrong. She had made something of herself, as had Amycus. They were on the winning side of this war, and she would rise above them all to serve the Dark Lord. She swallowed down her fear, her pain, allowing only rage to remain. Pulling her mask into position, she finally opened her eyes, able to stomach the sight of herself at last. She turned to face him at last, his own ornate mask hiding his own fear, and they nodded in understanding.

“Tonight is our night at last,” he murmured, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“Tonight is our night,” she agreed, moving in to embrace her brother for the last time.


	11. Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 6 Prompt: **_Scars are souvenirs you never lose._ \- Goo Goo Dolls, “Name”**  
> POV: Peter Pettigrew

The Ministry took my finger and kept it as a souvenir. Now that I think about it, I could have chosen a better finger to cut off. I had it somewhat planned out. Not all of it, but some of it! And I thought, leave a finger so they think you’re dead after the explosion! Everyone will blame Sirius. You have to leave something!

I probably could have left a toe. Not my big toes. Those are supposed to be for balance, you know? But any old toe would have done. But I thought, someone who is framing somebody else and faking their own death would be _perfectly_ willing to leave a _toe_ , you see. A finger is more valuable. There aren’t many people who would cut off their own finger.

Oh, “There aren’t many people who would let their friends die?” You’re getting off the point.

You see, I picked the best finger; they’d just _have_ to believe I was dead. Nobody would pick the dominant finger from their dominant hand, right? It was my right forefinger. I had to be careful to set it somewhere conspicuous but not improbable, because where my spell hit, there is nothing, not a trace of the Muggles. So I had to place my finger somewhere towards the edge of the spell’s damage.

I still don’t have that finger in my Animagus form. Makes sense, makes sense. But, really, I could have picked another finger. I didn’t think a pinkie would be convincing enough, but the _left_ forefinger maybe… 

Oh, you want to know about how I could do this to my “friends?” You want to know how I could follow the Dark Lord? Evil? You think I’m _evil_? 

Listen, listen, you don’t know what He’s like.

Listen, listen. You’ve got to understand—


	12. Extinguished

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 6 Prompt: “Be well, bringer of cells / And you tended your garden like Heaven and Hell.” - Haley Heynderickx, "Jo"  
> POV: Gellert Grindelwald  
> Character Relationship: Gellert Grindelwald/Albus Dumbledore  
> Notes: Mentions of character death

Four paces.

Four paces from wall to wall. The floor well-worn from my travels.

Fifty-three.

Fifty-three years of mildew and darkness. Fifty-three years of being given just enough to stay alive.

Nineteen thousand three hundred forty-five.

Nineteen thousand three hundred forty-five days spent in isolation, in the prison of my own creation. The irony has haunted me daily for all of these years as I slowly wither away in my confinement. Had I known I would spend the remainder of my days here, I would have added some amenities.

Four hundred sixty-four thousand two hundred eighty.

Four hundred sixty-four thousand two hundred eighty hours spent longing, dreaming, regretting. Where did it all go wrong? Countless nights spent studying, planning, and learning each other-- wasted.

Four thousand three hundred twenty.

Four thousand three hundred twenty minutes since the news of your fall reached me. The last shred of light within these walls extinguished. All this time you kept me alive, and for what? You imprisoned me here, a punishment not nearly as cruel as you leaving me behind. I would gladly starve if it meant I could feel your magic, your presence one last time.

Zero.

Zero seconds since the last tear has fallen. I’m so tired, Albus.


	13. I Had All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 7 Prompt: **_I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you_ \- Lord Huron, “The Night We Met”**  
> Character Relationship: Past Severus/Lily  
> POV: Severus Snape
> 
> Notes: Loosely implied underage (circa 5th year)

I made good my threat to sleep outside the portrait in Gryffindor Tower. I’m losing my sanity out here, bargaining with a god I don’t know. If I could take back only ten minutes of my entire life, I would choose fighting those Marauders, hanging by my ankle humiliated, and calling you a slur. 

No, if I could take back only two minutes. Hanging exposed, and the slur, Lily.

No, please, just forty seconds of my life, of my whole life. I would take back those forty seconds of my words and your hatred. Please.

I Disillusion myself in the magical sense long before I’ll ever disillusion myself from thinking you’ll come back to me. I lay here, invisible, night after night. You know I’m here, so no one else needs to.

Eventually, the night comes when it’s you who opens the portrait. You are in the night dress you once let me touch. I cry out a million words that brewed on my tongue for you, my love, but again, I am told to save my breath.

You didn’t come out for me. You came out for Remus Lupin, who is recovering after a night of the full moon. And yet he is less monstrous to you than I am.

“Lily…”

“No. _No_. I kept trying to hold on, but I lost you. I completely lost you to this.”

“ _You_ lost _me_? Damn it, Lily, you didn’t lose me at all! I’m _right here_!”

“No. You’re not the same. You’re not who I met. And you know what, you’re sure as hell not who I fell in love with.”

You shove me out of the way with magic and run down the tower, crying tears that will dry sooner than mine.

You loved me?

_That makes this even worse._


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 7 Prompt: “Why wilt thou go, my harassed heart?” - Emily Brontë, "A Little While, A Little While..."  
> POV: Lucius Malfoy  
> Character Relationship: Lucius & Narcissa & Draco

She looks at me, but she no longer meets my eyes. Shame. We spend our time apart, even when we are together. I do not blame her. I have failed. In my determination to bring my family recognition and honor, I have instead brought shame and scandal. I have brought _danger._ The very presence I worked so hard to impress for so many years, now under my own roof, one furious moment away from slaughtering us all.

How can I protect my family when I put them into this situation? As if my own fall from grace was not enough, my failure has brought my only son into the spotlight. He was always so eager to perform and flaunt his status, but now, he is branded, expected to perform to much higher standards as a result of my own disgrace. I have not spoken with my son in months. He spends much of his time at school, under the watchful eye of Severus Snape, The Dark Lord’s highest confidant. I often wonder whether he is safer at home or surrounded by lunatics like the Carrows. These decisions are no longer my own. I am useless, as I am often reminded, kept alive purely as an example, a stain upon The Dark Lord’s reputation.

I wish I could go back, that I had not returned to him. I wish I had placed more worth on my family. Do I still have a family? Or do they merely tolerate my existence out of necessity? My wand, my life, all destroyed by a madman’s obsession. I have nothing more to give, a shell of my former self. My love, I broke all of my vows to you. Our son, our life together, all tainted by influence and greed. I am so sorry, Narcissa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick word of thank you to my co-author, PerfidiouslySnatching. You have brought me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone. I have had so much fun this week, and I look forward to discussing this challenge with you at greater length. I have enjoyed watching you step out of your own comfort zone as well. Thank you for listening to my endless complaints, and thank you for calling me at an awkward moment to compliment my writing. 
> 
> Thank you to those of you who joined us on this journey, and perhaps we will bring you more collaboration in the future!


End file.
